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What is a 20-F? The foreign annual report, explained

A 20-F is the annual report filed by foreign private issuers listed in the U.S. — the international counterpart to the 10-K, often prepared under IFRS.

The 10-K's international cousin

A 20-F is the annual report filed by foreign private issuers — non-U.S. companies whose shares trade on U.S. markets, often as American Depositary Receipts (ADRs). It serves the same purpose as a domestic company's 10-K.

What's inside

Like a 10-K, the 20-F carries a full business description, risk factors, management discussion and audited financial statements. The biggest practical difference is the accounting standard: many foreign issuers report under IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards) rather than U.S. GAAP, and figures are frequently in a non-USD currency.

When it's filed

A 20-F is generally due within four months of the fiscal year-end — a longer window than a domestic 10-K.

Why it matters

If you follow international names like large European, Asian or Latin American companies listed in the U.S., the 20-F is your equivalent of the 10-K. FiledFeed parses its XBRL (including IFRS tags) and is currency-aware, so the charts reflect what the company actually reported. For interim updates from the same companies, see the 6-K.

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